


it's hard (but it's harder to ignore it)

by green_tea31



Series: always remember us this way [2]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cairo Day 2020, Established Relationship, Family, Gen, Jack makes everything better, James MacGyver's terrible parenting, M/M, Team as Family, this turned into a series when I wasn't looking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23629903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_tea31/pseuds/green_tea31
Summary: Sam looks radiant tonight in a knee length yellow dress, hair flowing freely down her shoulders. They’ve been planning this dinner for weeks now, wondering whether or not Oversight knows about his daughter and, if not, trying to think of a way to tell him.Because no matter how much Mac currently wants to have nothing to do with his father, if the mess with Walsh has taught him anything, it’s that he can’t avoid this confrontation forever.There's a very awkward family dinner, Oversight proves he has a long way to go before becoming a decent father, but luckily Jack is there to take care of things.
Relationships: Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: always remember us this way [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700995
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	it's hard (but it's harder to ignore it)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Cairo Day 2020. Cairo Week? No idea, but I'm going to enjoy it anyway. First day: Family. This is a continuation of my fic from last year, and it's entirely possible that it's turning into a series in which I will attempt to rewrite (i.e. fix) certain parts of season three. No promises though as to when, I've got a lot of other stuff to write first.
> 
> As always, self-betaed. All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Title from Father & Son by Cat Stevens.

“This is going to be awkward, isn’t it?” Bozer asks. He glances at Mac before handing him a plate with something that smells as delicious as it looks complicated.

Mac chuckles. “Probably. Be glad you’re spending the night at Leanna’s.” They make their way out to the deck where Sam is waiting, nervously biting at her nails. She smiles relieved when she sees Mac and Bozer, and Mac takes a moment to be grateful again that she’s here, that he won’t have to face the overwhelming presence of James MacGyver alone.

The last few weeks have been – difficult. The team is still walking on eggshells around him, guilt on their faces whenever they think Mac isn’t looking. It’s gotten better though. As the visible scars from his time in Walsh’s compound fade, so does his friends’ tendency to treat Mac with kid gloves.

Jack is the one who wakes him from his nightmares, holding him close until the shaking fades. Jack is also the one who blames himself the most, but they’re working on it. If there’s anyone on this planet who can out-stubborn Jack Dalton, it’s Angus MacGyver.

And Mac has a sister now. He has someone sharing his genes, besides an absent, manipulative father. Someone who cocks her head the same way when she gets excited, who has the same wicked glint in her eyes before doing something reckless and stupid – at least according to Jack.

Sam looks radiant tonight in a knee length yellow dress, hair flowing freely down her shoulders. They’ve been planning this dinner for weeks now, wondering whether or not Oversight knows about his daughter and, if not, trying to think of a way to tell him.

Because no matter how much Mac currently wants to have nothing to do with his father, if the mess with Walsh has taught him anything, it’s that he can’t avoid this confrontation forever.

Sam smiles and takes the plate from him, placing it on the table in the last free spot. It’s a simple dinner, each dish carefully prepared by Bozer, because Sam’s about as good a cook as Mac is, and they’re almost ready to start. There’s a fire burning in the pit, and every available string of fairy lights is switched on. Mac thought about doing this in a less comfortable setting, confronting his dad at the Phoenix or at his place, but he needs something familiar, a place where he feels secure, and, aside from Jack’s apartment, this comes the closest.

“Where do you think Jack is parked?” Sam asks teasingly. Mac rolls his eyes and throws a glance towards the direction of the street.

“Somewhere close enough, he could probably be here in under five minutes, but still out of the way, so Dad doesn’t spot him when he arrives.” It doesn’t matter that Mac had told Jack they’d be okay – that there was no reason why Jack couldn’t stay at his own place for the night. Mac knows his partner. Jack is close and likely going to wait until morning if Mac doesn’t call to tell him everything’s alright before then.

God – he loves that man so goddamn much it’s kind of ridiculous.

“Well, that’s me off then,” Bozer says. He claps Mac’s shoulders and nods at Sam before leaving. “Good luck you two.”

Mac takes a deep breath and joins Sam who’s leaning against the railing.

Now they wait.

…

James MacGyver arrives exactly on time. Mac hasn’t really expected anything else. He musters Mac with a critical look, and Mac tries not to feel like he falls short of whatever it is that his dad is looking for.

“I have to say, I was surprised at the invitation, Angus,” James says, stepping into the house. “But I’m glad you’re at least willing to talk to me again after…”

Mac grimaces. His dad has so far mostly avoided making references to his time spent in Walsh’s captivity. He doesn’t know whether James just feels uncomfortable about it, or if he’s trying to be gentle with Mac out of some very belated sense of fatherly concern, but whatever it is, it’s making both of them more than a little uncomfortable whenever they’re in the same room.

“Yeah, well. Didn’t have much of a choice really.” James raises a questioning eyebrow, but Mac just waves to indicate that his dad should follow him. He makes his way out to the deck. Sam is still leaning against the railing, turning around when she hears their footsteps on the wooden boards.

His dad stops short when he sees her. “Agent Cage…”

There’s a calculating looks on James’ face and Mac has a terrible feeling about this. He may not always be able to read social cues as accurately as his friends do but, this time, there’s no doubt in his mind.

His dad isn’t really all that surprised to see Sam.

“You know,” Sam says, glancing at Mac in concern. He waves her off and takes a seat at the table. His father and sister join him after a decidedly awkward moment of staring at each other.

No one takes any of the food. James is the first to break the silence. “Your mother was working for ASIS when we met. We were sent on assignment together a few years before I met Angus’ mother,” he says, looking at his daughter with an inscrutable expression on his face.

“How long have you known about me?” Sam asks, and she sounds as cold as James does. Mac has never been able to be like that, to meet emotionally challenging moments like this with the same distant demeanour as his dad, and he’s always thought James had been disappointed at that – the fact that his son couldn’t put the greater good above everything else.

James sighs and rubs a hand over his head, ruffling his hair in the process. He looks tired and defeated when he speaks next, but Mac can’t find it in himself to feel pity for him.

“Your mother contacted me a few months after you were born.”

“And you never thought to tell either of us?” Mac asks in disbelief. “Even after agreeing with Matty’s decision to offer Sam a job, you never thought we should _know_?”

James raises an eyebrow, and whatever weakness had been on his face a moment ago, is drowned under the force of his disdain. “It’s more complicated than that, Angus. You’ve been in this job long enough, you should know that we can’t always decide based on what’s right – sometimes we have to decide based on what’s necessary.”

Mac blinks, taken aback by his father’s words, realizing, perhaps for the very first time, that James MacGyver still doesn’t really _get_ why Mac had been so angry at him – still is really – only for an entirely different reason this time.

Only, it’s not really a different reason, is it? The situation may have changed, but the underlying issue remains the same. James’ inability to face his mistakes, combined with his tendency to see Mac more as an extension of himself than a fully formed adult with a personality of his own – and the resulting lies and deceptions that have never been as much for Mac’s safety as James likes to claim.

“With all due respect, I can’t really see why leaving us in the dark about our connection was necessary,” Sam interjects.

James narrows his eyes. “Apparently you found out anyway, agent Cage, so it’s a moot point.”

“I’m not an agent anymore…”

Oversight interrupts her. “You went on an unauthorized mission in a foreign country to retrieve an operative who almost no one even knew needed retrieval at that point. If you still think you can keep up the pretence of being retired, you’re not half the agent I thought you to be,” he says, voice hard and uncompromising. He looks at his son then, and if Mac didn’t know better, he’s say he catches a glimpse of regret in his father’s eyes before his face goes blank again.

“And if you hadn’t stormed off sulking last year Angus, we could have avoided that mess entirely.”

Icy silence descends over the table. To James’ credit, he winces as soon as those last words leave his mouth, but the damage is done.

“So it’s my fault I was captured?” Mac wants to say more, wants to yell at his dad until the man shows at least some kind of regret over the terrible choices he’s made, but Sam interrupts him.

“I think it’s best if you leave now sir,” she says, her graceful form the picture of restrained calm. Mac envies her that ability – to stay calm even when he can see the hurt in the way her shoulders hunch inward just the slightest bit, the way her back is almost rigid with tension.

He doubts Oversight notices.

James nods and gets up. He hesitates, looking like he wants to say something else, but slumps in defeat before leaving without another word.

…

Mac looks at the stars in wonder and nearly spills his beer, trying to grab it from where Sam has both their bottles precariously balanced on her knees. “He’s just… _stupid_ ,” he grinds out with emphasis. Sam giggles and catches her bottle. Mac watches mournfully as his beer vanishes between the wooden planks.

“I’m sorry,” she says, holding out her bottle. “Here take mine. S’yours anyway – you paid for it.”

“Nooo –“ Mac falls back until he can rest his head on the ground, ignoring the way the wood digs into a still sore spot at the back of his head. “S’yours too now.” He feels woozy, and doubts he can get back up without help. But then, the night is pretty. He might just stay here until morning. Until Jack comes back – he misses his Jack already.

Heh, his Jack. Does Jack mind the possessiveness? Mac’s gonna have to ask him later. Mac can be Jack’s Mac the way Jack is Mac’s Jack, and that made way more sense a few moments earlier, before he tried thinking about it too hard.

Sam nods and takes a sip, only to look irritated when the bottle turns out to be empty. She shrugs and tips sideways, rearranging her limbs until her head rests on Mac’s stomach.

“You know,” she says. “I never really wanted a dad anyway. S’way too much work I think.”

Mac thinks about that for a while and comes to the conclusion that she’s probably lying which he tells her. He doesn’t get an answer, and that’s the moment he realises that Sam has fallen asleep, snoring softly.

“Hey Mac, Sam. You still out there?” Jack calls from the house. Mac jerks in surprise, nearly causing Sam to fall off. She curses and glares at him.

“What did you do that for?”

Mac gestures at Jack sheepishly, who is watching them from a few feet away, suspicion heavy on his face. Jack sighs, and there’s the frowny face that Mac doesn’t like, because it means his partner is worried about him, and he never likes to worry Jack, even if he does it a lot.

“I’m guessing the evening didn’t go well then?” Jack says, coming over to sit down next to Mac, their arms touching. Mac wants to scoot closer, wants those strong arms around him, basking in the warmth of Jack’s body, but he doubts he has the coordination right now not to embarrass himself by falling face first into the fire pit.

Jack pointedly looks at the two empty bottles of red wine on the table and sighs again.

“Yeah – I’m calling it. It’s bedtime for both of you.”

Sam seems to find that hilarious, because she starts giggling helplessly, tipping sideways again until her head rests on Mac’s shoulder. “Can I stay here tonight?” She asks, sounding forlorn.

Mac wraps an arm around her. “’Course you can. Jack?” He glances at his partner, because Jack’s the only one who’s actually sober enough to make any kind of responsible decision. Jack takes Mac’s hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. When he looks at Mac his eyes are sad.

“Yeah. I’ll make up Bozer’s bed for her. Doubt he’ll mind if she takes it for the night.” One hand comes up to cup his cheek and Jack presses a gentle kiss against Mac’s lips.

“I tailed your dad for a while until I was sure he left. Came right back, but I guess you two started the party without me,” he adds absentmindedly and brushes a strand of hair out of Mac’s face.

Mac nods in thanks and stops worrying about things like absent fathers and whether or not he intends to come back to the Phoenix Foundation.

As long as Jack is there to take care of him, things are going to be alright. 


End file.
